Kanpur police to get a third eye; will soon use drones, body-worn cameras for patrolling

Kanpur: To maintain law and order in the city for which a budget of Rs 28 lakh has been approved by the Uttar Pradesh government, the police of Kanpur will soon use drones and body-worn cameras.

From the total budget, Rs 10 lakh will be used for buying a drone camera. A committee is already working on fulfilling the formalities within eight to 10 days, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shalabh Mathur here on Friday.

Representational image. AFP

This initiative will ensure a better surveillance during various festivals and address traffic woes, he added.

The step has been apparently taken in the wake of a recent conflict between two communities when a religious procession was being carried out in the city.

The drone camera will help in scanning communally sensitive areas and let the police know if any anti-social activity is in progress, Mathur said, adding that in the recent conflict, stones were gathered on rooftops as people engaged in violence.

The drone camera will also help in tackling heavy traffic jams at busy city crossings by identifying the reason in a lesser time. SSP Mathur also said that public gatherings by political leaders will be monitored through these cameras. Besides this, the 12 body-worn cameras will help in transparency during police raids and traffic challans.

Complaints regarding misbehavior by police officials during search and raid operations are common. "These body-worn cameras will be quite helpful in this regard", Mathur said.

These cameras will also help in keeping a tab on erring and negligent police officials and thereby ensure effective policing in the city. "Our motive is to provide free flow of traffic, protect the innocent and punish the offenders and a high-tech police force will make it possible", he said